Paralysis
by LiveLoveLikeMe
Summary: There was only one thing Casey Novak was sure of, and that was the fact that being work partners with Alex Cabot would certainly be an interesting, terrifying, and immobilizing job.  One Shot.


**A/N: This idea sort of just came to me. It isn't much, but I just wanted to write something short and simple. This is how I imagine Casey Novak to be thinking when she gets Alex as her working partner. Let me know what you guys think about it. Who knows, maybe I'll get inspired to write more Casey.**

Casey Novak sat at her desk heavily contemplating her next move. Anyone walking by her office would have assumed she was simply working on another case, after all that was her job. However, tonight she wasn't contemplating over a court case. Casey wasn't trying to find a way to put some twisted child molester behind bars, or to convict a serial rapist with only circumstantial evidence. Casey had closed the file in front of her hours ago, now only staring at the blank file folder it resided in.

She sighed as she brought her elbows up onto her desk and ran her tired hands back through her soft auburn hair. It had to be almost three in the morning, yet there she sat, still in the same plush desk chair as she had been almost all day. There was no way she would be getting out of this one. You see, Casey Novak prided herself on her ability to take control in the courtroom. Her passion exemplified her strong work ethic, never letting her strong feelings about someone lead her wrongly. '_If only it were that simple right now.'_ Casey thought to herself.

As it turned out, those strong feelings were the exact reason Casey was finding herself in such a predicament at the moment. The news had come in something as simple as a short five minute phone call. It didn't seem plausible that life could change so easily with such a minor act, but it certainly was proving to be that way.

"I have great news for you Novak," Liz Donnelly had sputtered into the other line of the phone several hours earlier in the day. "Remember how I said you'd be getting a partner since the case load has significantly increased for you lately? Well she'll be there tomorrow."

"She?" Casey had asked nervously. It wasn't that she had anything against a female partner, it was just that she tended to get a bit territorial. This was especially true after her run-in with the former ADA Alexandra Cabot. There had been a certain spark she felt around Alex that had scared her half to death. They had never actually had any vocalized issues with each other, but it was there in their eyes the whole time. The jealousy was apparent, however petty, but both could understand it. Casey knew from the way everyone's eyes had lit up at the sight of Alex when she had returned that she would always be their perfect ADA; their ice queen. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't very hard for Casey to understand why.

From the moment she had set eyes on the blonde she had been completely transfixed. Her beauty wasn't just that of any average blonde Casey had seen before; she held so much more complexity within her. Her baby blue eyes could capture anyone's attention in a second, Casey included. She recalled when she had been prepping Alex for her case against her attempted assassin. Alex had gotten very passionate and accidentally insulted Casey's abilities. She surprised herself by not only not getting mad, but also by finding the passion behind it rather attractive. The second she looked into those blue pools her mind had been wiped of the incident.

Everything about Alex seemed dangerous, but not in the way one might expect. No, she didn't seem to pose any real kind of threat to Casey or her job. The danger Casey had felt around her was over her heart, and that was only after a few short days together.

"Yes, I believe you two have met actually. Her name is Alexandra Cabot," Liz had spoken with a hint of Glee in her voice as she unknowingly dragged Casey back out of her thoughts. She had no idea that it had incited a paralyzing fear in Casey, she only knew she would be working with two very talented ADAs instead of just one now.

At the mention of the name, Casey froze. She had made up a quick excuse to get off the phone and hung up immediately. It was that same position she had been in when she set the phone down that she now found herself still in.

"What am I going to do?" Casey asked herself out loud. There was no way she could work with Alex, her persona she had strived for so hard would be wrecked in a minute. She had been there for years, but that had never fully taken away the feelings that she was still the newbie. With Alex gone, she had been finally welcomed in to the group, but if she returned? Casey feared the worst, which was one aspect of herself she rather disliked. She knew perfectly well that justifying her fear of the blonde ADA with the thought of losing her friends was not going to help the real problem.

There would be no more denying it to herself. Casey Novak had a crush on Alex Cabot.

She cringed inwardly because it didn't make sense. Casey had never been attracted to women before, so why had this one woman gone and changed that? This woman that she would have to be working with.

If Casey had really thought about it, she probably would have eventually realized that the attraction she felt to Alex made perfect sense. They both had the same job, and more than anyone else would be able to understand each other. Casey could understand what drove Alex's passion because it was the same thing that drove her own. It was the prospect of getting one more dangerous person off the streets.

Casey sighed heavily once more and folded her arms flat on the table. She rested her head on the folded arms and closed her eyes. '_Just for a minute, just to clear my head about this,'_ Casey thought to herself. Unfortunately, her body didn't listen to her mind. Within minutes she had drifted off into a somewhat peaceful slumberland filled with visions of the blonde ADA.

_The next morning._

She heard a muffled giggling sound but ignored it, her body not quite ready to wake up yet. It wasn't until Casey felt a gentle hand physically touching her arm that she finally began to stir. She moved slowly, but eventually a very groggy Casey Novak had managed to lift her head off her desk and face a very startling new day.

There right in front of her, in the flesh, was Alexandra Cabot herself. Casey felt the paralysis kick in as her opposing mind suddenly became very alert. "Shit!" she cursed, further embarrassing herself. She blushed as she hadn't meant to speak that out loud.

Casey strained her mind to remember what had happened. Apparently her little nap had turned into a full night of sleep, right there at her desk. She was still in her office, which meant that she hadn't had a chance to shower or clean up for Alex.

Then she once more remembered that Alex was still standing over her. Slowly, as if someone was holding a gun to her head, Casey looked up at the blonde who was almost in tears from laughing so hard. Casey felt her stomach drop and tears of her own threaten to come out from embarrassment.

"Good morning counselor. I must say, even I'm not dedicated enough to my job to live in my office," Alex joked, but all Casey heard was the sound of honey melting her heart. She couldn't believe she was in such an embarrassing predicament in front of the last person she wanted to do that in front of.

"Well, I've had some touch shoes to fill," Casey retaliated, by some miracle finding words that wouldn't further embarrass her.

"Look, I can't even begin to remember all the times I stayed up all night working on a case and fell asleep in my office. I'm just glad to know I'll be working with someone who knows what she's doing," Alex said with a rare but treasured smile.

Casey was somewhat shocked that Alex was being so nice to her. She wasn't the same Ice Queen everyone had always talked about, she was different and sweeter. That wasn't all that Casey was shocked about though. She didn't understand why Alex was giving her such an easy out. She could have simply teased her for falling asleep, but she just tried to make her feel better about it. Well, at least she wouldn't have to admit why she had really stayed up so late.

Casey finally gathered the nerve to really look at Alex and her breath caught in her throat. She knew her expression was probably visible, but she didn't care. What further embarrassment could she possibly bring herself in one morning anyways?

"Do you want to go get some breakfast?" Casey risked asking. She didn't know why she had, but something about the way Alex was looking back at her told her it might not be such a bad idea.

"I was waiting for you to ask, partner," Alex replied as she held out one of her delicate hands for Casey to take. She graciously accepted and got up from her chair, the paralysis finally ceasing.

There was only one thing Casey Novak was sure of, and that was the fact that being work partners with Alex Cabot would certainly be an interesting, terrifying, and immobilizing job. She found herself rather looking forward to it suddenly.


End file.
